Isaiah 65:13-16

Isaiah 65:13-16
English Standard Version (ESV)

  That Super Bowl last night was incredible.  As the second half unfolded, I could scarcely believer what I was watching.  I was hoping the Falcons would win, and everything pointed in that direction for most of the game, until it didn't.  Everything suddenly fell apart, and those who had aligned themselves with the Falcons lamented while those who opted for the Patriots rejoiced.
  Much of Isaiah's writings, including this passage, are warning and encouragements to choose wisely where we will place our loyalty.  So much of life unfolds mindlessly, and if we simply let ourselves be carried by the current, we will drift far from what we imagine life should be like.  So God is speaking through Isaiah to call the people to pursue faithfulness actively.  Make a choice, the prophet proclaims, and follow God with our hearts.  Those who submit to his Lordship will find the treasures of heaven, while those who choose their own kingdoms, stubbornly refusing to submit to Christ as Lord, will discover the emptiness of those efforts.
  Our money, our fame, our reputation, our health -- these will all pass away, and basing our sense of purpose on such worldly items will eventually erode beneath us.  They are gifts from God that can be enjoyed, but to worship them as more than they are is to risk discovering our true identities too late.  We are sons and daughters of God, and living out of that identity will lead to satisfaction, joy and peace as we treasure the gifts that cannot be taken from us.